Mesa Del Sol: New Urbanism in Albuquerque

Mesa Del Sol will be located just outside of downtown Albuquerque and is comprised of twenty square miles of land, 3,200 acres of which are said to remain as open space. Albuquerque is famed for it’s 300 days a year of sunshine, was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the best places for businesses and careers in the U.S., is just under a three hours drive from world class skiing in Taos, and is a short two hour flight from L.A. Mesa Del Sol’s New Urbanism approach means that virtually everything you need will be within walking distance — stores, work, schools, homes, and parks etc.

Mesa Del Sol’s first completed building is LEED certified and occupied by a solar company. Their site says that the community will embrace the idea of sustainability by conserving water, promoting walking instead of driving, promoting renewable energy use, and offering recycling programs.

The community is in the beginning stages and while no homes or lots are for sale yet, home prices are estimated to start at a reasonable $150,000 to upwards of $700,000. Homes will be Energy Star certified.

One feature I was surprised to see in the renderings was double-lane roads running down the middle of the community, something that I have not seen in many green communities. Perhaps this is necessary due to the size of the community and it certainly gives off a more urban feel, but I think it distracts a bit from the walking theme of the community. The other element that I prefer to see utilized by green urban communities is the re-use of previously developed land instead of development of a completely new tract of land. But again, with the size of this project, that probably would not have been an option.

Overall, there is a wealth of information to take in on Mesa Del Sol’s site. This is a truly impressive large-scale project. It will be wonderful to watch this community emerge as homes, businesses, and the town-centers begin to develop. Visit Mesa Del Sol‘s site to learn much more about the community and to sign-up to be kept up to date with the project.